The Luck Factor: Change Your Luck and Change Your Life (Paperback)

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Review
Forget Harry Potter's Hogwarts Academy for Wizards, here's something much better! Psychologist Richard Wiseman started his own 'Luck School' to see if students could improve their luck by following the principles and techniques in this book. After the course, unlucky people said their luck had increased and lucky people claimed to have become even luckier. The Luck Factor is a practical guide, personal diary and Luck School syllabus all in one. It involves a radical new way of looking at the elusive nature of luck. Lucky people consistently find interesting opportunities and meet others who have beneficial effects on their lives but unlucky people don't. Lucky people make good decisions without knowing why, the unlucky don't. Lucky people even manage to turn bad luck into good, while the unlucky can't seem to find the knack. Why? It's nothing to do with charms, superstitious numbers or black cats, states the author. Nor is luck related to psychic ability or intelligence. Identifying the psychological mechanisms that underlie the differences between the lucky and the lucky, Wiseman breaks them down into four main principles and twelve sub-principles. Lucky people notice and act upon chance opportunities in life and are able to do this because of their relaxed way of looking at the world. Unlucky people tend to be more anxious and miss things. In one fascinating experiment, he demonstrated that lucky and unlucky people appear to live in totally different worlds. A #5 note was placed on the pavement outside a coffee shop and a businessman strategically placed at a table in the cafeteria. The first subject walked along, saw the #5 note, picked it up and put it in his pocket. Then he went into the coffee shop, sat next to the businessman, bought him a coffee and struck up a conversation with him. The second subject came along, failed to notice the #5 note, also sat next to the businessman but ignored him. Asked later about their day, the first subject said it had been very lucky - he'd found a #5 note and had a useful conversation with a local businessman. The second subject said nothing much had happened to her. Lucky people listen to their hunches, often making successful decisions by using gut feelings. They expect good fortune. Expectations not only affect the way we feel and act; they can influence our health. A Finnish study looked at 2,000 men in three groups. Monitored for six years, those who expected the future to be bleak were far more likely to die of cancer, cardiovascular disease and accidents. Those who expected the future to be good had a lower mortality rate than either the 'bleak' or the 'neutral' group. The idea that techniques and exercises can help you transform bad luck into good fortune might sound a bit like the miller's daughter trying to spin straw into gold but be assured, Dr Wiseman says it can be done. The secrets in this book could stand you in good stead for the rest of your life. Good luck! (Kirkus UK)

Product Description
Why do some people lead happy successful lives whilst other face repeated failure and sadness? Why do some find their perfect partner whilst others stagger from one broken relationship to the next? What enables some people to have successful careers whilst apparently similar others find themselves trapped with jobs they detest? And can unlucky people do anything to improve their luck - and lives? Ten years ago, Dr. Richard Wiseman decided to search for the elusive luck factor by investigating the actual beliefs and experiences of lucky and unlucky people.. Looking at the results, Wiseman was able to identify four main factors which explained living a lucky and unlucky life. He was then able to show a group of people that considered themselves unlucky, how to think and behave like lucky people. The results were astounding with almost all participants reporting significant life changes: including increased levels of luck, self-esteem, physical well-being, confidence, and success. In this extraordinary and accessible study of luck, Dr. Wiseman not only identifies 'The Luck Factor' but shows us how we can all bring more luck into our lives.

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25 Reviews 5 star:  (15) 4 star:  (6) 3 star:    (0) 2 star:  (3) 1 star:  (1)           Average Customer Review 4.2 out of 5 stars (25 customer reviews)		Share your thoughts with other customers: Create your own review
Most Helpful Customer Reviews   61 of 61 people found the following review helpful: 5.0 out of 5 stars The Luck Factor is a Remarkable Book, 8 Jan 2003 By A Customer This is an amazing book. It's no ordinary self-help book - it's well-written, presents fascinating results of solid scientific research, and it works - at least it worked for me! It's packed with information about psychology yet it is an easy and compelling read. It describes how the author, who is an academic psychologist, did research that revealed that luck is not about chance or fate, it is down to how you think and behave. You can make your own luck by following four "luck principles". As well as the discovery of the principles, the book describes "luck school" - a scientific study in which people were given various exercises to practise in order to boost their luck by using these four principles. 80% of people reported significant increases in their happiness, life satisfaction, and luckiness, following their participation in the luck school experiment. I must admit I was a bit skeptical before reading the book. I have always considered myself a lucky person, and I didn't think the book would have much effect on me. However, I discovered using the questionnaire in the book that although I was already using three of the luck principles, I was neglecting a fourth one. So in the last week I have been practising the recommended exercises to boost that principle and I am amazed and delighted to say that I have already noticed an increase in my luck! I think this remarkable book deserves to be a bestseller. Comment Comment | Permalink | Was this review helpful to you? Yes No (Report this)   11 of 11 people found the following review helpful: 5.0 out of 5 stars unexpectedly interesting, 17 Jan 2003 By A Customer I was given this book and assumed that it would be another rubbishy self-help book. However, to my suprise, I found that it was actually very interesting and convincing. Most of what the author says is commonsense, but I have never seen it all tied together like this before. I think the best thing about this book is that the recommendations for what to do to improve your luck are all quite easy to do, and enjoyable, so it's something that you're more likely to stick to. Comment Comment | Permalink | Was this review helpful to you? Yes No (Report this)   15 of 16 people found the following review helpful: 5.0 out of 5 stars Luck is a state of mind!, 7 Mar 2005 By  Jester "Jester" (London United Kingdom) - See all my reviews This review is from: The Luck Factor: The Scientific Study of the Lucky Mind (Paperback) Out of all the self help books I bought years ago and subsequently donated to charity shops (they were pure rubbish) 'The Luck Factor' is in a class of it's own! I have not completed the book yet but it has changed my outlook totally. From a personal perspective I have found that even a slight change of mind can have amazing results. I am a trainee teacher and I began my second placement after a break of eight months badly, I felt like quitting. But when I looked at the situation from a different perspective, things have improved, I am going to qualify! Reading this book so far it is like I have found the keys to the luck door, it's time to use them and open it to a world of opportunities waiting! When reading this book I urge all readers to give it their all and things will start to happen! No one is born lucky, luck is not because of intelligence or some amazing psychic ability, anyone can reverse bad luck into good!!! An excellent book I recommend it to anyone! Comment Comment | Permalink | Was this review helpful to you? Yes No (Report this) Share your thoughts with other customers: Create your own review › See all 25 customer reviews...		Most Recent Customer Reviews 4.0 out of 5 stars luck how to get it This is a very amusing book, full of tales of good and bad luck. I really liked the advice to change your luck from bad to good and how you attract the energy of bad or good... Read more Published 1 month ago by Samantha Bentley 5.0 out of 5 stars Man's mind stretched to a new idea never goes back to its original dimensions Are you one of those people who exude charm, personality and good fortune where ever you go? If yes, then this book would categorise you as a lucky person. Read more Published 3 months ago by Darcy 5.0 out of 5 stars Read book + Follow book= Become very lucky! A very important book everyone MUST read. Great advice and great evidence to back it up. Whether you are a lucky or unlucky person now, you will become very lucky if you follow... Read more Published on 16 Sep 2006 by PHILIP MCNALLY 5.0 out of 5 stars I was one of the students on the Richard & Judy 'Luck Factor' trial Hi everyone, I was on the R & J show when Richard first released his book, I was one of three students on a 3 week trial with Prof Wiseman, I found it totally... Read more Published on 30 Jul 2006 by Mr. G. J. Edminson 2.0 out of 5 stars Luck?! This is actually a rather dishonest book, selling itself as science when really it is merely self-help. Read more Published on 10 Jun 2006 by Kent Guy 4.0 out of 5 stars Psychology, self help and the paranormal? I love where Wiseman's coming from. He's a sceptic about the paranormal, and researches Indian God-men, ESP and luck rather than ignoring them. Read more Published on 18 May 2006 by Some Bloke 5.0 out of 5 stars Life altering! So most of us already know about the power of positive thought? If that were true, pessimists wouldn't exist and there would be no need for this book! Read more Published on 3 April 2006 by agoodwitch 1.0 out of 5 stars Scientific Hokum This is typical of the sort of book written by someone from the scientific community that sets out to prove what is already common knowledge to a large proportion of the... Read more Published on 10 Jun 2005 by Thormod Morrisson 5.0 out of 5 stars A book that will make you lucky It is based on sound research about what lucky people do and think. It is a great read and is difficult to put down until you have finished it. Read more Published on 21 Jan 2005 4.0 out of 5 stars A state of mind This fascinating 10-year study reveals that good fortune is not primarily due to talent, hard work or intelligence. Read more Published on 17 Aug 2004 by Pieter Search Customer Reviews Only search this product's reviews › See all 25 customer reviews...

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